Conventionally, a body-insertable apparatus for collecting a body fluid or the like of a patient has been proposed. Specifically, the body-insertable apparatus has a configuration including a capsule exterior case, a storage chamber arranged in the exterior case for leading to the outside of the body-insertable apparatus and storing the body fluid or the like, and an input control mechanism for controlling an input of the body fluid or the like to the storage chamber. In this body-insertable apparatus, the input control mechanism collects the body fluid or the like by performing predetermined control when the body-insertable apparatus reaches the desired region in the subject such as the patient, and stores the collected body fluid or the like in the storage chamber.
As a specific example of such a conventional body-insertable apparatus, there has been proposed one apparatus having a collecting needle with a collecting unit having water absorptivity being provided at the end, a drive mechanism for putting in and out the collecting needle from the exterior case, and an input/output control mechanism that controls projection operation and storing operation of the collecting needle by the drive mechanism by an electromagnetic force (for example, see Patent Document 1). In such a body-insertable apparatus, the drive mechanism projects the collecting needle from the exterior case based on the control of the input/output control mechanism, so that the body fluid or the like adheres to the collecting unit at the end. Thereafter, the drive mechanism stores the collecting needle in the exterior case together with the collecting unit to which the body fluid or the like adheres, based on the control of the input/output control mechanism. The body-insertable apparatus collects the body fluid or the like in the desired region in the subject by using the collecting unit.
Further, by applying the above mechanism, a body-insertable apparatus that directly supplies the medical fluid to an affected part in the subject has been also proposed. This body-insertable apparatus has an injection needle instead of the collecting needle of the body-insertable apparatus, for example, described in the Patent Document 1, and the injection needle is projected from the exterior case so as to inject the medical fluid to the affected part. In this case, the body-insertable apparatus includes a projecting drive mechanism for performing projection operation of the injection needle, and a discharge mechanism for discharging the medical fluid to the injection needle, and by operating the projecting drive mechanism and the discharge mechanism, respectively, to inject the medical fluid to the affected part.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Utility Model Application No. S57-39776